Governments always had better resources. Until they didn't. The only way a government has resources is by people providing the resources by doing work. Once

Governments always had better resources. Until they didn't. The only way a government has resources is by people providing the resources by doing work. Once people collectively deny work, it's game over for the government. As for the 1700s, all of the wars I mentioned happened in the second half of 20th, and early 21st century, with a gigantic asymmetry in almost every relevant resource. Yet, in all three examples it took the US a whole decade of trying to win and then get a graceful exit, if that, against, basically, people with AK-47s and improvised bombs.